07 Mar Special of the day: A Roundup of Roasted Vegetable Recipes

It all boils down to three words of sage advice that keep popping up again and again: eat your vegetables.

One of the healthiest things you can do for your body is to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. Low in fat and calories, vegetables are high in fiber and nutrients and rich in antioxidants which have been shown to prevent diseases, cardiovascular conditions and strokes. In addition, the vitamins and minerals you obtain from eating a variety of vegetables can benefit the health of your skin and hair.

It sure sounds good on paper, but amping up the volume of veggies you consume is sometimes easier said than done. Salads and soups seem to be the standbys when it comes to these superfood stars of the show. But if you’re looking to revitalize your vegetable recipe repertoire, roasting them with garlic proves to be an easy and efficient way to infuse the nutrient-rich nuggets into your weekly master plan of meals.

Pay it forward by firing up the oven and roasting a few of your favorite vegetables and enjoy the fruits (okay, veggies) of your labor all week: in a frittata, in baked sweet potatoes and on a pesto pizza.

This week’s Special of the day: A Roundup of Roasted Vegetable Recipes including Roasted Vegetable Frittata with Basil and Parmesan, Baked Sweet Potatoes with Garlic Roasted Vegetables, and Pesto Pizza with Roasted Vegetables. Happy Roasting!

Vegetables lined up for roasting

Garlic Roasted Vegetables(You may want to double this recipe and make two pans of roasted vegetables if you plan to make all three recipes that follow.)1 yellow squash1 small bunch asparagus, ends trimmed4 small tomatoes1 butternut squash1 red bell pepper, seeded2 cloves garlic, mincedKosher saltFreshly ground pepper½ cup olive oil, divided Preheat oven to 425 degrees.Slice vegetables into ¼ inch thick slices of uniform length.Brush large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.Arrange sliced vegetables in a single layer to cover pan.Distribute minced garlic over sliced vegetables.Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.Roast vegetables in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until browned nicely.Remove from oven and let cool.*Can be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for use in the recipes that follow.

Roasted Vegetable Fritatta

Roasted Vegetable Frittata with Basil and Parmesan(serves 2-4)4 eggs½ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper1 tablespoon butter2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese¼ cup fresh basil leaves½ cup Garlic Roasted Vegetables (from recipe above)Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Using a wire whisk, whisk eggs in a medium mixing bowl until beaten.Add salt and pepper and stir to combine.Heat a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat.Add butter to hot pan and allow to melt.When butter is melted, use a pastry brush to spread it around the pan to cover the bottom and sides of the pan.Pour beaten eggs into pan and cook until edges are set.Arrange Garlic Roasted Vegetables on top of partially cooked eggs.Sprinkle edges of frittata with parmesan cheese and arrange basil leaves around vegetables.Remove frittata from stove and place in preheated oven to finish cooking the eggs on top.Bake frittata until eggs are set in the middle, about 10 minutes.Slide frittata out of pan onto cutting board and cut into wedges with pizza cutter.Serve hot.Enjoy!